Alone (16 page)

“Stay there, Jason. I’ll fix you something to eat.” Ralph said as he rose and walked into the kitchen.

He quickly heated some broth and added some crackers. He carried the lukewarm bowl over to Jason to find that the dog had risen to his feet. He set the bowl down and watched as Jason slowly licked it clean. Jason staggered to the door and whined. Ralph crossed the room and opened the front door. Jason slowly walked outside and relieved himself. He walked around the house and sniffed at the still bodies of the puppies and the female dog. He padded to the body of the horse and the hair on his back rose and he growled deep in his throat. He stared into the distance for awhile and then slowly made his way back into the house. Ralph made sure the dog was comfortable and then went outside to the grim task of moving the dead animals.

In the fading light he gathered the small puppies and the female dog and carried them to the back of the house. His eyes were filled with tears as he worked. He wrapped the bodies in an old sheet and dug a hole large enough to contain the bundle. He filled the hole back in and moved several large rocks over it.

He started the tractor and moved the dead horse down the road. When he had traveled about half a mile, he dropped the carcass. He jumped down from the tractor and walked around the carcass. Several parallel cuts stretched across the hind quarters of the animal and its throat had been torn out. Realizing he was standing beside a large dead animal in the darkness, he grew apprehensive and quickly hopped back on the tractor and drove off.

He returned home, checked on Jason and then studied the spot where he had found the dead animals. Several sets of tracks were faintly visible. The light rain had softened them and he couldn’t tell what had left them. The only thing he was sure of was that whatever it was, it was big.

The horse had not been eaten so he assumed that Jason and the dogs had driven the creature off.

By now darkness had settled in. Ralph loaded the shotgun and high powered rifle and sat them by the door. He checked on Jason and fed the dog another bowl of broth. He filled a small bowl with warm soapy water and washed the cuts again. He gently patted the wounds and poured hydrogen peroxide onto the cuts to clean them. Jason stiffened but endured the treatment. Ralph talked gently to the dog the entire time. When he finished, Jason sighed and wearily closed his eyes.

“Goodnight, old friend.” He said as he gently petted the dog.

When a few minutes later, Jason began to snore, Ralph gathered his rags and water and carried them into the kitchen. He fixed himself something to eat and then headed off to bed. Later that night, he awoke with a start. A strange rumbling growl echoed thru the house. He heard Jason whine and he got out of bed and padded down the hall. Jason sat peering out of the living room window. He turned his head when Ralph walked in and then turned back to the window. He growled softly.

“It’s ok boy.” Ralph said as he sat beside the dog. Together man and dog stared into the darkness waiting. The rumbling growl was not repeated.

The next day, Ralph drove over to the spot he had left the horse’s carcass. Something had been at it and there was little left. Ralph was tempted to examine the remains, but decided that he better stay in the truck. He drove slowly away and spent the better part of the morning cruising the area looking for anything unusual. The fire was finally out, but piles of smoldering embers dotted the landscape. A pall of smoke hung over head and the smell filled the air. Ralph headed back home and was glad when he passed the edge of the burned area. Turning into the driveway, he caught a glimpse of some large tan shape moving thru the trees. He slammed on the brakes, but it had passed from sight.

Back at home, everything was fine, but the horses and cattle were huddled nervously in the barn.

Ralph stayed close by the remainder of the day, but saw nothing unusual. The animal remained skittish and he decided to close the barn doors as the sun sank slowly into the horizon. He fed Jason and let the dog hobble around the yard as he secured the barn doors. When he walked back to the house, he found Jason standing on the front porch staring into the trees. His lips were pulled back in a snarl and his attention was so focused that he did not hear Ralph approach.

“Easy boy.” Ralph said as he touched the dogs head. Jason started and then returned his gaze to the woods.

“Come on. It’s time to go inside.’ Ralph said holding the door open. Jason did not move.

“Jason!” Ralph said sharply.

Jason started again and slowly rose and walked into the house. Ralph stared into the woods as he closed the door behind him. He checked Jason’s wounds and they appeared to be on the way to healing nicely. He tried to read but kept getting up to check outside. After an hour of this, he heard the cattle and horses making a racket in the barn. The sheep were baahing and the horses were kicking the stall doors. Jason moved from his bed to the front door and began growling. Ralph reached over and turned off the small table lamp. In the darkness, he crossed the room and stood by the door. Reaching down, he lifted the 30.06, checking to make sure that the safety was off. He padded around the house and peered out of each window but he could see little. The sky was lightly overcast and the moon was just a fingernail. As he checked the bedroom windows, he caught sight of the 44 in its holster on the dresser. He sat the rifle down and buckled the pistol to his side. He checked the safety and made sure that it was off. He picked up the rifle and headed back to the front of the house. Jason had spent the entire time staring out the living room window.

“See anything out there?” Ralph asked as he stood beside the dog.

Jason growled softly and pressed his nose against the glass. At that moment, one of the horses screamed in terror.

Ralph jumped and then strained to see through the darkness. A tremendous roar filled the night. There was a deep rumble that he could actually feel as it washed over him. His breath came in quick gasps and the hair on his arms stood up. A feeling of terror washed over him and all he wanted to do was run. As panic filled his mind, he again heard Jason softly growl. With that sound, strength flowed back into his limbs and his breathing slowed. His thoughts grew ordered once more and he gazed down at the dog. Jason sat by his side, but he no longer stared outside. His gaze was directed at Ralph and for just a second, Ralph felt something pass between himself and Jason. Then the moment passed and Jason returned his gaze out the window.

Ralph could hear the terrified animals in the barn trying to escape the enclosed area and he could hear the strange rumbling that filled the air. Before he realized what he was doing, Ralph moved to the front door. He reached out and quickly flipped on the outside lights. He pulled the door open and stepped onto the porch, and quickly closed the door behind him. In the house, he could hear Jason barking.

“Not this time, boy. It’s my turn now.” Ralph said as he strode from the porch and into the yard. The rumbling growl was louder out here and it threatened to overwhelm him. He spun toward the barn and gazed in awe. He froze in place and his mouth dropped open. For a second he stood, completely vulnerable. Jason’s barking from inside the house broke his trance and he brought the rifle up to his shoulder. Sighting down the barrel, he squeezed the trigger again and again. Shots rang out and the rumbling roar turned into a scream of rage and then of pain as he continued to fire into the two massive shapes in front of the barn. One of them dropped to the ground and he concentrated fire on the second one. It leapt across the yard toward him and then it too slumped to the ground.

Ralph realized that the rifle was empty. He dropped the now useless weapon to the ground and quickly drew the pistol. He stood on trembling legs and surveyed the yard. The massive lion in front of him struggled to rise and he quickly fired the pistol. The recoil slammed his arm back and the great tawny body shook as the slug tore through it.

Ralph fired again and the animal stopped moving. It was dead. The other lion lay slumped beside the barn and he could hear its labored breathing. Without thinking, he walked over to it and fired the pistol into the huge body. It too ceased moving and the sound of its breathing stilled.

Ralph gazed across the yard at the two lions. Never in his wildest dreams had he thought something like this might happen. He remembered the giraffes he had seen and the glimpses of strange things he had seen off and on. Reaction set in and he dropped to his knees. How long he stayed in that position, he didn’t know, but he struggled to his feet and walked back to the house. Bending he retrieved the rifle and crossed the porch to the front door. Jason was scratching wildly on the door and Ralph opened it for him.

Jason leapt upon Ralph and licked his face.

“It’s o.k. Jason. I’m all right.” Ralph said as he turned his face away.

“Get down. Everything is all right.”

Jason finally gave up on licking every inch of Ralph’s face and walked stiff legged into the yard. He cautiously approached the first lion and sniffed it. He growled and then inspected the other one. Satisfied that they were dead, he walked back to the porch and then inside the house. Ralph walked shakily over to the barn and checked the livestock. The horses were wild eyed and the cattle and sheep milled around. Ralph checked the stalls and then closed the barn door. He crossed the yard and walked around the carcasses. He slowly mounted the steps to the front porch and turned around. Ralph looked into the yard one last time and shaking his head, crossed into the house. He pulled the door closed behind him and turned out the lights. He stumbled to bed and flung himself upon it. It was only then that he realized that he still clutched the rife tightly in one hand and the pistol in the other. He got up and rested the rifle by the door and placed the pistol back into the holster which he then unbuckled and laid upon the dresser. He unlaced his boots and kicked them off and then lay upon the bed fully clothed. He was shivering uncontrollably and his mind was racing. He took several deep breaths in an attempt to calm down. Gradually his shivering ceased and his thoughts grew calmer. He rolled onto his side and in seconds he was fast asleep.

His dreams were filled with great rushing shapes and sharp teeth. He moaned into the darkness. Standing by the side of the bed, Jason peered at Ralph. He whined softly and Ralph’s moaning ceased. Ralph rolled over and his breathing grew deep. Jason walked around the bed, as if he was inspecting the area. Satisfied that all was well, he walked to the bedroom door and settled down where he could watch both the hallway and the bedroom. He dropped his head on his front paws and stared into the darkness. He stayed that way the entire night, his eyes constantly flickering between the man on the bed and the hallway.

‘What?” Ralph said early the next morning, as he jarred awake. He sat upright in bed.

“What did you say?” he mumbled as he rubbed his eyes and glanced around the room.

He realized where he was and knew that he was alone. He couldn’t remember why he had asked the question. Jason lay in the doorway and looked up as if to say, “I didn’t say anything.”

“Sorry Jason.” He said as he swung his legs over the side of the bed. He stretched and looked down as he felt his shirt scratch across his chest. He didn’t even remember getting in to bed.

“Slept in my clothes, didn’t I?” he said as he started to unbutton the shirt. The material felt scratchy and he discovered that the front of the shirt was covered in dried blood. He shuddered as he remembered the events of the previous night. The second lion had dropped right at his feet and it was its blood that had covered him. In disgust, he wadded the shirt and threw it away from him. His jeans, too had dried blood on them and he flung them after the shirt. He strode to the bathroom and took a long shower, with the water as hot as he could stand it. He stayed under the stream from the shower until it became hard to breathe in the bathroom.

Back in the bedroom, he selected a new shirt and jeans from the closet. He had stocked the closet with dozens of shirts and jeans. When a shirt wore out, he threw it away and opened a new one. He did the same with his jeans. Feeling clean, he and Jason went to the kitchen and Ralph fixed them both some breakfast. Sitting at the small kitchen table, drinking a final cup of coffee, Ralph watched as Jason licked his empty bowl.

“Jason, I’m not sure exactly what happened last night, but I do know that you saved my life. When I saw those lions, I froze. It wasn’t until you started barking that I was able to move. You’re different than you were before everyone disappeared. You seem smarter somehow. I almost feel like you understand me.”

Jason had finished licking his bowl and had dropped to the floor. He watched Ralph as he spoke. Ralph looked at Jason and it seemed the dog was going to answer him. He leaned closer to the dog. Jason watched as Ralph leaned over and then he farted into the silence.

Ralph jerked back in shock and watched as Jason looked behind him as if he were looking for whatever had made that noise. The smell reached Ralph and he gagged and then broke down laughing. He laughed so long that his stomach hurt. Jason watched for a minute and then walked into the living room where he again broke wind. This set Ralph off again and the tears streamed down his face. When the laughter finally stopped, Ralph felt as if a load had been lifted from his shoulders.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you did that on purpose.” He said as he crossed the living room to the front door. Jason sat watching him. Ralph thought he saw Jason grin.

“Come on buddy.” Ralph said as he opened the door.

Jason rose from the floor and followed Ralph out of the house. The sky was overcast with clouds and a light drizzle fell. Bright beams of sunlight peeked out from behind the cloud cover and sparkled off of the fine drops of rain.

In the light of day, the two lion carcasses were as impressive as they had been the night before. Neither had the mane signifying a male, and Ralph peered around nervously for a moment. Jason appeared to be unconcerned, so Ralph relaxed. He spent the morning hauling the two carcasses away from the farm. He hauled one about a mile to the south and the other a mile to the north. He had considered skinning the animals but had decided against it. When the job was done, he was sore and tired. The light drizzle continued to fall and his clothes were soaked. When he returned home, he opened the barn doors and let the grateful animals out. They fled from the confines of the barn and the horses frolicked around. The cattle headed into the pasture followed by the sheep and they began eating. Tired and sore, he nonetheless mucked out the stalls in the barn and spread fresh straw. He finished and desperately wanted another hot shower and some sleep, but knew he had other chores to finish before he could rest. He checked the windmill, the solar cells and the generator. He cleaned the intake pipe for the generator and hosed the blood from the front yard. As he was rolling up the hose, he heard a slight noise. He spun around, his nerves on fire. His eyes swept the yard and he didn’t see anything. Jason raced around the corner of the house and slid to a stop by Ralph. Whatever it was, Jason had heard it too. They stood together and scanned the area. After waiting several minutes, they heard nothing. Ralph finished putting the hose away and prepared to go inside. As he started toward the door, he heard the faint noise again. Jason reacted instantly and raced toward the barn. Reaching the front, he sniffed around the bottom of the barn and headed toward the far side. At the corner he paused and then barked excitedly. He began furiously digging the ground at the barn corner. Ralph ran across the yard and when he arrived at the barn, he saw a small opening beneath the siding. From this small hole, a faint noise rose.